Revelation 3:8 (KJV)

Passage

I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.

Nearby Context

Revelation 3:6 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Revelation 3:7 And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;

Revelation 3:8 I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.

Revelation 3:9 Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.

Revelation 3:10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "works", "behold", "before", "thee", "open", "door", "shut", and "thou". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "works" and "behold", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 7's "And to the angel of the church..." into verse 9's "Behold I will make them of the...", so "works" and "behold" belong inside that flow. In Revelation context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "works" and "behold" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.